Horse owners are often interested in using oral supplements to help prevent and manage osteoarthritis (OA) in their horses. Many supplements are available, each with differing bioavailability and potential efficacy. Recently, researchers at Colorado State University’s Orthopedic Research Center performed a study to determine whether an oil extracted from Biota orientalis (BO) seeds could treat experimentally induced OA.
What Is Biota Orientalis?
Biota orientalis is a conifer tree native to China and Iran. Seed extracts of fatty acids from this tree have been used in Chinese herbalism for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in people, with meaningful clinical benefits. BO has been shown to reduce arachidonic acid release in rats’ livers and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in pig cartilage.
Research on Biota Orientalis Use in Horses
The study included 16 Quarter Horses or Quarter Horse crosses, ages 2-5, that had no abnormal radiographic findings and a subjective lameness score of ≤ 1 (AAEP scale of 0-5). Evaluators graded lameness subjectively based on the AAEP lameness scale, then objectively using an inertial sensor system. Carpal effusion and flexion responses were assessed during the initial lameness evaluation. The research team induced OA of the middle carpal joint surgically by removing a fragment of the distal radial carpal bone. Each horse’s opposite limb received a “sham” operation.
Eight horses received BO in an oral liquid suspension (4Cyte Epiitalis Forte Gel Horse), while eight horses in a placebo group received the same volume of nonmedicated liquid. For 10 weeks, the horses received either BO or the placebo dose daily by syringe directly into the mouth. To expedite OA progression, on Day 14 the horses were put on a high-speed treadmill at the trot for two minutes, gallop for two minutes, and trot again for two minutes. They completed this exercise five days a week for the remainder of the study. The horses were euthanized on Day 70.
The researchers took radiographs of the carpi on Days 0, 14, and 70. They performed MRI under general anesthesia at Day 7 and after euthanasia at Day 70. A blinded, board-certified radiologist evaluated all imaging studies. Synovial fluid was collected weekly to measure PGE2 and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) concentrations, starting on Day 7 all the way through the post-mortem MRI exams. Serum was collected on Days 0, 14, 28, 42, and 70 to measure GAG concentrations. At necropsy, synovial membrane and articular cartilage samples underwent histologic evaluation.
Research Findings
While the MRI results starting on Day 7 yielded less significant findings—in part because OA progression between Days 0-7 was already advancing—other studied parameters showed significant joint protections in horses receiving BO:
- PGE2 (a pro-inflammatory mediator and marker of OA) concentrations were reduced in synovial fluid, suggesting a profound anti-inflammatory effect.
- White blood cell counts in synovial fluid were lower in the BO-treated horses.
- Four of six radiographic parameters of OA were reduced by 63% compared to placebo-treated horses.
Final Thoughts
The authors concluded, “significant anti-inflammatory and disease-modifying effects were seen following oral treatment with BO,” warranting further investigation in horses with clinical OA.
Reference
Seabaugh KA, Barrett MF, Rao S, McIlwraith CW and Frisbie DD. Examining the Effects of the Oral Supplement Biota orientalis in the Osteochondral Fragment-Exercise Model of Osteoarthritis in the Horse. Front. Vet. Sci. 2022, 9:858391; DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.858391
Related Reading
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- Therapeutic Effects of Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid With Gold Microparticles
- Researching Biomarkers to Understand Equine Joint Health
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